Winston-Salem —Carolina Liquid Chemistries (CLC), a Winston-Salem company that makes laboratory diagnostics and testing systems, has received FDA clearance to sell its latest state-of-the-art chemistry analyzer for hospital and clinical use.

The FDA clearance of the CLC1600 rounds out the line of what the company calls its CLC6410 family of chemistry analyzers. In 2012 the company’s CLC 720 became the first product to be launched from the then-new Wake Forest Biotech Place in the Piedmont Triad Research Park.

Since May of 2014, the FDA has cleared three of CLC’s analyzer instruments (the CLC 800, CLC 1600 and CLC 6410) and several of the firm’s reagents (test kits).

As a result, CLC, which employs 38 people in Winston-Salem and another 24 at its Brea, California location, can provide clinical laboratories with a wide range of instruments and over 80 reagents that aid in diagnosing and treating patients.

Saves time, costs

The new CLC1600 targets high-volume clinical laboratories, offering technology typically not available on older analyzers. It saves time and operational cost, while increasing productivity.

The company’s reagent line includes tests for metabolic, lipid, liver, kidney and electrolyte panels, as well as special tests such as vitamin D, urine drug screens and more.

“Our scientists, regulatory and marketing team have done an excellent job delivering to the market a much-needed family of instruments that share the same reagent cartridge and reagent formulations,” said Phil Shugart, CLC’s president. “This means that laboratories with a multiple locations and a need for a variety of analyzers can standardize results and purchases throughout their facilities.

The company sells its CLC480 bench-top for smaller clinical laboratories, the CLC800 for mid-volume labs, the CLC1600 for the high-volume laboratory, and the CLC6410 modular for large core and reference labs.

In growth mode

“Our product line is incredibly flexible,” said Shugart.

Patricia Shugart, the company’s chief operating officer, said the company is in a growth mode.

“The new family of analyzers will, and has, put us in a position to hire field engineers, field technologists, customer service and ‘hot-line’ technical representatives,” she said.

“We also intended to expand our field sales force. The long story short, yes this means adding personnel. We have a lot more work to do.”